John Hiatt

Well, folks, this was simply a cracker. On paper it had possibilities. John Hiatt has a long and distinguished track record and his new and 14th album, Little Head, continues his recent strong run with fine playing by his band, the Nashville Queens. But the 95 minutes or so delivered by this quartet on Sunday night at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin exceeded all expectations.

Hiatt is an interesting and compelling example of the maverick American singer/ songwriter. His is a distinctive style formed by intelligent observations and laconic wit and fuelled by his instinctive rock 'n' roll knowledge and sensibilities. He seems to have been around forever, but he is only 45. And that is 45 years young, because he reveals no lack of appetite for the stage. He twisted and turned, dancing all sorts of hilarious steps, then twisted and turned his nasal melodic croak into a prince of a voice.

The material was a well thought-out blend of the old and the new. The latter included tracks from the new r&b-directed Little Head - the title track and hook-filled gems of the like of Pirate Radio, Graduated and Sure Pinocchio, plus the lonesome ballad, Far As We Go. The former provided rich pickings for veteran fans with seasoned classics such as Riding With The King and Perfectly Good Guitar getting memorable outings.

This, however, was more about performance of the songs than the songs themselves. In conversation with Hiatt a few weeks ago he had stressed how highly he rated this band and how much he enjoyed playing with the other musicians - David Immergluck, guitar, pedal steel, dobro and electric sitar; Davey Faragher, bass; and Gary Ferguson, drums. He wasn't joking. They were tight, expressive and entertaining and despite being the wrong side of 40 (or maybe because of it), they kept up a very brisk pace. Among the many encores, including a ringing version of Thing Called Love, he dedicated the plaintive ballad, Have A Little Faith In Me, to the audience for doing just that. And they responded with even more applause. It was that sort of night.